The 7 Stages of Lewy Body Dementia

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Currently, more than 55 million people have dementia worldwide, over 60% of whom live in low and middle-income countries. Every year, there are nearly 10 million new cases.

What is Dementia?

Dementia is a term for several diseases that affect memory, thinking, and the ability to perform daily activities.

According to the World Health Organization (W.H.O), Dementia is a syndrome that can be caused by several diseases, which over time destroy nerve cells and damage the brain, leading to deterioration in cognitive function.

There are various forms of dementia the most common one being Alzheimer’s disease. Others include vascular dementia and dementia associated with Lewy bodies.

What is Lewy body dementia?

Lewy bodies refer to abnormal deposits of protein in the brain that affects the brain the normal brain functions like mood, behavior, and thinking.

It is named after German-American neurologist Frederic Lewy, who first discovered it.

LBD can be diagnosed by a physician. Specific tests that may support an LBD diagnosis include A positron emission tomography (PET) scan or a single-photon emission computerized tomography (SPECT) scan. There are stages in the development of LBD that can help those around identify the signs of its presence.

Here are the 7 stages of Lewy dementia:

Stage One: No Cognitive Signs

There are no detectable signs of Lewy body dementia and it is difficult to diagnose at this point.

Stage Two: Very Mild Cognitive Decline

There are mild signs like increasing memory loss, reduced alertness, etc Most symptoms are often seen as related to old age by family members.

Stage Three: Mild Cognitive Decline

There is trouble in performing tasks with multiple steps, mild memory loss, and difficulty in concentrating. The dementia becomes more noticeable.

Stage Four: Moderate Cognitive Decline

The symptoms include memory loss, sleep disorders, increased visual hallucinations, and difficulty in performing regular activities hereby require assistance from caregivers. More often than not, dementia is diagnosed at this stage.

Stage Five: Moderately Severe Cognitive Decline

The patient develops symptoms similar to those of Parkinson’s disease, as they experience difficulties in movement and coordination. They also exhibit certain irregular behavior and need assistance in performing their day-to-day activities.

Stage Six: Severe Cognitive Decline

There are noticeable personality changes and memory loss is very prominent. They are mostly able to only recall memories from their early life and exhibit an inability to speak.

Stage Seven: Very Severe Cognitive Decline

They experience a profound cognitive and physical decline and require 24/7 assistance. It lasts for about 18-30 months

The major cause of dementia is age (especially from 65 years and above) but not all people within this age get dementia. There are other factors like high blood sugar, depression, smoking, drinking, and so on.

There is no cure for dementia but all the patients need is care from their family members and specialists. The effect of dementia can be reduced with physical activities and good health.

Thank you for reading!